Pakistan Releases 30 Indian Prisoners Ahead Of Independence Day

Pakistan to Free 30 Indian Prisoners, including 27 fishermen, from jail as a goodwill gesture ahead of the country’s Independence Day tomorrow.

This is a humanitarian gesture to mark Pakistan’s Independence day on August 14,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said in a statement. The 30 prisoners being set free also include 27 fishermen, it added.

Over 470 Indians, including 418 fishermen, are detained in Pakistani jails, according to a government report submitted before the country’s Supreme Court in July. Yesterday, it was reported that the fishermen had been arrested by the authorities for allegedly trespassing into Pakistan’s territorial waters. They were shifted to Cantt Railway Station from Karachi’s Malir jail and will be taken to Lahore. The fishermen will be handed over to Indian border officials at Wagah border.

Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on August 14, after gaining independence from the British rule 71 years ago in 1947.